Momo the Mouse
by Kalow
Summary: Momo is a deermouse that lives along a lovely stream. But one day, Aizen the beaver decides to dam up the stream and destroy her home. Meanwhile, she meets Toushiro, a white mouse that decides to help her. Can she and her friends stop Aizen? HitsuHina.
1. Chapter 1

Title: Momo the Mouse

Main Characters: Momo; Toushiro

Explanation: So I was thinking to myself, what if all of the Bleach characters were rodents? I love rodents, so I just had to make a story out of it.

I do not own Bleach

**Momo the Mouse  
**

Momo scampered along the side of a stream in the early morning hours. Momo was a deer mouse. She had rich, chocolate brown fur on her back and sides with bright white fur on her belly. She had perfectly manicured whiskers and bright, playful eyes. She stood up on her hind legs for a moment to view the beauty of the stream.

The stream itself was shallow, being only a few inches deep. The water was crystal clear and there were all sorts of stones at the bottom. The water ran at a swift pace, but not enough to be dangerous. Momo enjoyed swimming in the stream and diving to the bottom to collect the pretty pebbles at the bottom. The water was cool, a relief in the warm summer months. At the edge of the river, there were numerous pebbles, with scattered wildflowers growing further on. Then there were banks of dirt that were several feet high, and above that was the forest. The large trees shaded the area, making it pleasantly cool. It was truly her favorite place on earth.

"Hey Momo!" a loud voice said, breaking the tranquility. Momo squeaked in surprise, her little heart beating fast. She turned to see her friend Rangiku the squirrel standing behind her. Rangiku was a fox squirrel, and she was much bigger than she was. She had bright orange fur and a big bushy tail.

"Rangiku! What are you doing here?" Momo asked in surprise.

"We came to have some fun with you," another voice said. Momo looked up and saw Renji jumping off the bank onto the ground near them. Renji was also a squirrel, but he was a red squirrel, so even though he was twice Momo's size and several times her weight, he was still smaller than Rangiku. He had reddish fur and a furry but not bushy tail.

"Hey! Don't forget me!" another voice yelled. Momo watched as Rukia the vole tumbled down the steep bank of dirt onto the gravelly riverside below. Rukia was a vole and had black fur. She was much smaller than the others, being slightly smaller than Momo. She had a hairless tail like Momo, but it was much shorter.

"I didn't forget you," Renji said, "You were just too small to keep up."

"Why you!" Rukia said, launching herself at Renji and forced him to the ground with incredible energy for her size. As the two quarreled, another voice joined them.

"Hey, what did I miss?" Izuru said. Izuru was a golden mouse. He was only slightly larger than Momo, and greatly resembled her except for his fur, which was a bright golden color. Renji and Rukia immediately stopped fighting.

"Oh, hi Izuru," Renji said awkwardly. There was silence for a minute.

"Well what should we do first?" Rangiku asked.

"Lets go swimming!" Momo said immediately. The others agreed. They all ran for the water. Momo jumped in first. It was quite chilly but very refreshing. Rukia and Izuru followed. Renji then jumped, creating a big wave that splashed the others, causing them to laugh. Meanwhile, Rangiku was edging her way slowly into the stream.

"Come on Rangiku, hurry up!" Renji called.

"It's cold," Rangiku complained, "I have to adjust first." She didn't see Rukia swimming up behind her.

"Boo!" Rukia shouted. Rangiku gave a yelp and fell face first into the water. She emerged a moment later, her thick bushy fur now soaked in water.

"Why'd you do that?" She asked indignantly, "I'm going to have to do something to you now!"

"You were taking to long" Rukia said, "and if you want to try anything you'll have to catch me first." She dived down, her small body allowing her to move much faster underwater. Rangiku's waterlogged fur prevented her from moving quickly, though she still tried. They soon all joined in, splashing and chasing eachother.

Momo and Izuru were wrestling in the water. Renji had joined Rangiku in trying to catch Rukia after she had snuck up behind him and grabbed his tail. Neither could catch her though.

"Ha, I guess you two are just too big!" she yelled while surfacing before diving back under. What she said was true; Rangiku was so large that the water only reached up to her middle and for Renji it reached to his chest. But Rukia's small body allowed her to dart through the water with great speed and agility.

As they all played, they suddenly heard a loud slapping noise. They looked over to the riverbank to see two large figures standing there.

"May we speak with you for a minute?" one of them said. They swam back to shore to see what the two wanted. As it turned out, the figures were a beaver and a silvery mink.

"Can we help you?" Rukia said, slightly irritated that their play had been interrupted.

"Yes, I am Aizen and this is my associate Gin," the beaver said, the mink named Gin smiled deviously. "We are here to inform you that we have chosen this location to build our new pond. We will begin damming up the stream soon so you'll probably want to leave here."

The five friends stared in shock. Leave the stream? This was their favorite place in the world. They had grown up here. It was here that they played and swam.

"Y-you can't do that!" Izuru said.

"That's right, we've been here way longer than you have! You have no right to take it!"

"I think you'll find that we can take it," Aizen said, slapping his tail on the ground to create a loud noise that caused them to wince.

"We have claimed it as ours and it is ours," Gin said, "Get over it."

"Why you!" Renji said, advancing forward, but Rangiku put her paw on his back.

"Don't Renji," she said quietly. They were a beaver and a mink; they stood no chance against them.

"Well goodbye then," Aizen said with a chuckle, "We'll begin our construction tomorrow." The two left and the group was silent for a minute.

Suddenly, Momo began to cry. "What will we do?" she sobbed.

"We'll just have to find a new place to play," Izuru said.

"But we'll never find a place as good as this!" Momo wailed.

"We don't have any choice," Rangiku said, tears forming in her eyes as well, "We'll just have to do what we can."

"She's right," Renji said, "There's nothing we can do, so we'll just have to make the best of things." Momo nodded.

"I-I'm sorry guys, I just need to be alone for a bit," Momo said. She then ran off along the stream.

"Momo!" Izuru yelled, ready to go after her, but he was stopped by Renji's paw on his back.

"Leave her be for now," he said quietly.

Momo ran along the stream crying. Her favorite place on earth; the place she had grown up and always played with her friends at was going to be destroyed and there was nothing she could do about it. As she cried, she suddenly noticed something odd. There was something on the side of the stream. She scampered down to the side of the stream.

To her surprise it was a mouse. He had handsome snow-white fur and was quite small. He was unconscious, and Momo decided that she would bring him back to her home to help him.

* * *

Thanks for reading everyone! I know this probably seemed a bit unusual, but I think that it's really cute. By the way, Gin will be the only non-rodent in this story. Having Gin being a type of weasel was just too good to pass up. Please review everyone.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Okay, I'm going to list off which animals the characters are in case you don't remember

Momo- Deermouse (Dark brown on her back and sides with a white belly)

Toushiro- Domestic White Mouse (Smallest of the group)

Izuru- Golden Mouse (Golden brown; slightly bigger than Momo)

Rukia- Vole (black on top, white on the bottom; smaller than Momo but bigger that Toushiro)

Renji- Red Squirrel (Red brown with a white belly; smaller than Rangiku but much bigger than the others)

Rangiku- Fox Squirrel (Mix of orange and gray hairs; a bushy tail; biggest of the group)

I do not own bleach

**Momo the Mouse**

Chapter 2

Momo stared at the bright white mouse; he was actually quite handsome. She nudged him with her nose a little bit, but he didn't wake up. Momo sighed; it looked like she was going to have to take him home the hard way. Using her nose, she flipped the tiny mouse over, rolling him away from the side of the stream and towards the dirt bank. When she reached it, she found the least steep part of it and climbed onto it.

Momo grabbed the scruff of his neck with her teeth, being careful not to hurt him, and slowly pulled him up the side of the bank. When she had reached the top, she let go of him and caught her breath. She was glad that he was so small or this would be impossible. She began to roll him through the forest floor, being careful to avoid any sticks or rocks. Finally, she reached her nest.

Momo's nest was in a hole that she had dug at the base of a large maple tree. A root ran just over the hole, making it safe from predators. She took the small mouse into her burrow. The inside of the burrow was quite big considering how small she was. The main entrance let enough light in that the place was moderately lit. There was a nest of weaved grass that served as her bed. One of the corners had a number of nuts that she had gathered. She placed the white mouse in the nest so that he would be comfortable.

Momo realized that she was quite tired from the task of taking him here, and she cuddled up next to him to take a nap. It was a snug fit, but she found that she liked being snuggled up against this little guy. He really did have amazingly colored fur, and he had such a cute little face. Momo fell asleep with a little smile as she thought about this strange little mouse.

Momo woke up to a slight movement at her side. She realized that the little mouse was waking up. She got up and walked over to where he was. After a minute, his eyes snapped open. They were very pretty eyes.

"W-where am I?" he managed to say.

"You're at my home. I'm Momo; I found you unconscious by the stream. What's your name?" Momo said.

"Toushiro," the little white mouse said. Momo went over to the other side of the burrow and grabbed a walnut.

"Here, eat this," she said, cracking the nut open and handing it to him. He gratefully accepted it and began to eat it. After he finished, he turned his attention to Momo.

"Thank you," he said, "You probably saved my life." Momo smiled.

"It was no problem Toushiro, I was happy to help." Suddenly, a voice called out to them.

"Hey Momo! Get out here we need you to come with us!" said the loud voice of Rangiku.

"Sorry Rangiku I can't right now," Momo said.

"But Momo, we've had an idea how to get rid of Aizen, you have to come with us!" Rangiku called.

"I'm sorry, I can't right now," Momo called back. There was a scrambling sound, and Rukia suddenly ran into the burrow.

"Listen Momo," she said sternly, "You care about that stream more than any of us, and we need you there when we-hey!" she said, only just noticing Toushiro, "What's with the freak?"

"Rukia! He's not a freak! He's unique," she said defensively.

"But he's bright white! On top of that, he's even smaller than me!" Rukia said.

"But he's so cute!" Momo burst out before she could stop herself. She realized what she had said as Rukia looked at her deviously.

"Oh, so that's how it is," Rukia said with a smirk, "fine, you can take your boyfriend with you."

"But he's not my boyfriend! Besides, he's not well enough," she said.

"No Momo, it's okay," Toushiro said, "I'm well enough to come with you."

"Well, okay, if you say so…" Momo said uncertainly. She and Toushiro followed Rukia out the burrow. Waiting there were Rangiku, Renji, and Izuru. They stared in surprise at Toushiro.

"Hey Momo," Izuru said, "Who's your friend?"

"Um, I'm Toushiro. I was on a truck bound for a pet shop but it crashed into a tree and I escaped." Toushiro said.

"Ooooooh, he's so small and cute!" Matsumoto exclaimed. Toushiro shifted uncomfortably.

"So what are we doing?" Momo asked, attempting to draw attention away from Toushiro.

"We're going to ask Yamamoto to scare off Aizen!" Renji said excitedly.

"Yamamoto?" Momo said questioningly, "He's just a grumpy old man. He'll be too busy licking on blocks of salt to help us."

Rukia whacked Renji over the head. "See, I told you I wasn't the only one who thought that it wouldn't work! But noooooo, you were going to try it anyway!" she said in immense irritation.

"But think about it!" Renji said defensively, "Yamamoto's the toughest guy in the forest! He could beat Aizen no problem!"

"It's not a matter of 'could' it's a matter of 'would', he's way too much of a jerk to help us," Rukia retorted.

"We have to try," Izuru said.

"Yeah, I'm sure that he'll be reasonable," Matsumoto said.

"Tch, fine then, but don't say I didn't warn you," Rukia said.

They walked through the forest towards Yamamoto's home. Yamamoto was secretive and preferred to be left alone, living alone in an area far from the river. He rarely was involved in the affairs of the forest, but when he was, all paid attention. Finally they reached the place Yamamoto lived. It was a small patch of tall grasses in the middle of the forest; nobody was quite sure how it got there. They walked through a flattened area of the grass towards the center of the patch where Yamamoto sat licking a chunk of salt.

Yamamoto was a porcupine; he was many times larger than any of them. He was covered in quills, and overall was quite rugged and intimidating. He stared at them with his beady black eyes.

"For what reason have you come here?" he said irritably.

"Um, Mr. Yamamoto we've come to request your help," Renji said nervously.

"Help with what?" Growled Yamamoto as he licked the salt.

"The beaver Aizen and the mink Gin are planning on damming up the stream. They wish to destroy the stream where we have all lived along and played in all of our lives," said Rangiku, "We beg that you stop them."

"Hmph, that is not of great importance," Yamamoto said, "Beavers make dams; it's what they do. I will not disrupt the natural order of things just so you can have a place to play. Do not waste my time further."

"But sir," Izuru began, "His actions will harm everyone in the forest!" He stopped when he saw Yamamoto's quills rising in anger.

"I said do not waste my time further," he said angrily, his quills rattling and his tail swinging back and forth along the ground, "Leave immediately." They hastily obeyed, running off as Yamamoto resumed licking his salt.

After they had returned to the forest, they looked at eachother grimly.

"I can't believe he just turned us away!" Renji said.

"I told you so," Rukia said irritably.

"What now?" Izuru said, "Who else can help us?"

Toushiro, who had been silent most of the time, spoke up, "I know someone," he said, drawing stares from the others, "Someone who I escaped with married a guy who's really strong. She said just to come to her if I ever needed something."

"What's his name," Momo asked.

"Kenpachi."

* * *

Thanks for reading! So next chapter, we'll get to meet Kenpachi! Thank you to Merciless Ruby, Snowy Peach Tsubasa, Animeimaginationgrl, shirochanxmomo1220, Slade2.0, aprilsierra, and CallMeNicole for reviewing! Wow, seven reviews, that's the most I've ever had for a first chapter of a story! Please review!


	3. Chapter 3

I do not own Bleach

Momo the Mouse

_Chapter 3_

Momo, Izuru, Rukia, Renji, and Rangiku followed Toushiro through the forest. The forest was a big area, and they were all quite small, so there were many areas that they had never been. One of these areas was an area where the trees were much shorter, no more than fifteen feet high. At the end of this area of forest, there was a rocky ledge about ten feet high.

"Great job navigating the forest Toushiro," Renji said sarcastically, "Now we'll never find that friend of yours."

"We're already here," Toushiro said, running further along the side of the ledge. The others followed him. He stopped in front of a gap in the ledge. "Miss Unohana!" he called out. Minutes later, a rat walked out. She had white fur on most of her body, except for her head and a strip extending from her head to her middle back. She was slightly small for a rat, and seemed more elegant than what was typically expected of the species. The others had never seen an animal with her markings before.

"Why Toushiro, what a pleasant surprise," she said in a kind voice, "I see you've made some new friends. So what brings you here?"

"I'm sorry to bother you like this, but we need to see your husband," Toushiro said. Unohana seemed taken aback.

"Okay, I'll go get him then," she said somewhat apprehensively.

"Don't bother," a rough voice said, "I'm already up." A large rat came walking out. He had coarse fur of mixed black, brown, and gray hairs that stuck up in many places, giving him a somewhat wild appearance. He was quite large; almost as large as Rangiku. He seemed quite strong. The others backed away a little bit, intimidated by his aggressive appearance, but Toushiro stayed where he was.

"Hi Kenpachi," he said.

"Hey squirt, haven't seen you in a while," Kenpachi said.

"You be nice," Unohana said, playfully hitting him in the shoulder.

"So what did you want me for?" Kenpachi asked.

"Well, there is this beaver that's bullying my friends, and we were wondering if you would fight him off for us," Toushiro said.

"I'm in," Kenpachi said immediately.

"Oh no you're not!" Unohana said, "I'm tired of you getting into fights all the time. I'm sorry Toushiro, but you'll have to work it out some other way. What has this beaver done to you anyway?"

"He's going to dam up the stream that we play at and live along," Izuru said.

"And he'll probably knock down the trees that we live in too," Rangiku added.

"We've played by that stream all of our lives, and he's just coming in to destroy it!" Momo said.

"Please, we really need your help," Rukia said.

"You're the only one who can help us," Renji said.

In the midst of the pleading eyes of the young animals, Unohana sighed and agreed to let Kenpachi go fight. "But you'd better be careful!" she said, "I don't want our daughter to worry about you." Kenpachi snorted.

"That pink menace hasn't worried about anything. Ever. She's always painfully upbeat," he said.

"Somebody's talking about me!" a high pitched voice said. Suddenly a tiny, bright pink parakeet came flying out. "Ooooh, you're going to go play again? Can I come Ken-chan? Please? Pretty pretty please?"

"No, and stop calling me that," Kenpachi said.

"Okay, while you're gone I'll think up a new name. Ken-Ken, Kenny, Pachi, Kenpa, Pa-Pa, Ken, Big Kenny…" she continued to name off new nicknames, oblivious to the fact that Kenpachi had already run off with the others.

--

Aizen and Ichimaru were on the stream bank, making arangements for their new pond.

"And I think we should put some reinforcing logs here just in case erosion is greater than we expected. And I think that making it slightly diagonal will help make it flow more easily. And over here…" He rambled on as they planned the construction of the dam.

Suddenly he stopped. The beaver turned around to see three mice, two, squirrels, a vole, and a rat facing him.

"What do you want?" he said irritably, "I thought I told you before to scram."

"I'm here to have a little fight with ya," Kenpachi said, "If I beat you, you gotta leave this stream." Aizen raised his eyebrow.

"Please, I'm many times bigger than you, you wouldn't stand a chance," He said dismissively. Kenpachi leapt down to face him.

"Don't take me so lightly!" he said. Aizen sighed.

"Gin, would you please take care of this guy?" he said. Gin nodded and walked forward.

Kenpachi suddenly pounced, and Gin let out a cry. A mink was the natural predator of the rat, but as Kenpachi and Gin wrestled on the ground, it was clear who was winning. Despite his smaller size, Kenpachi was incredibly fast, able to flip Gin over as he attacked him. After several minutes, Gin was breathing quite heavily from exhaustion. He was bleeding from a few bites.

Kenpachi leapt at him, preparing to finish him off, but suddenly a large flat tail smacked into him, sending him flying into the ledge along the riverbank. Aizen smirked as the figure of Kenpachi lay on the ground groaning. He moved forward, but was suddenly struck in the face by a black and white figure.

"Nobody hurts my husband you jerk!" Unohana yelled. Aizen attempted to swat her away, but she leapt all over his face, biting and scratching, eventually latching onto his nose. Aizen cried out in pain. He swung his head around, trying to get her off, but her teeth were firmly latched to his nose. After a minute of this, Unohana let go, being thrown back from Aizen's head's wild swinging. She landed on her feet facing him, her fur raised up and clearly still ready to battle.

"Retsu…" Kenpachi said, beginning to get up.

"Don't move," Unohana instructed. Aizen was very irritated and his nose was bleeding badly.

"I'm leaving for now, but we'll be back later," he announced, "Come Gin." Gin got up and followed Aizen. The others tensely watched as they walked away.

* * *

Thanks for reading everyone! Unohana is a hooded rat (a domestic variety, remember she was originally from a pet store). I chose that kind because their hood stripe somewhat resembles the real Unohana's braid (look up 'hooded rat' on google images to see what I mean). Also like the real Unohana, even though she acts all nice and sweet, she's a super strong fighter. Thanks to Snowy Peach Tsubasa, Merciless Ruby, shirochanxmomo1220, Yukiko of the snow, and CallMeNicole! Please review!


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Okay, I'm going to list off which animals the characters are in case you don't remember

Momo- Deermouse (Dark brown on her back and sides with a white belly)

Toushiro- Domestic White Mouse (Smallest of the group)

Izuru- Golden Mouse (Golden brown; slightly bigger than Momo)

Rukia- Vole (black on top, white on the bottom; smaller than Momo but bigger that Toushiro)

Renji- Red Squirrel (Red brown with a white belly; smaller than Rangiku but much bigger than the others)

Rangiku- Fox Squirrel (Mix of orange and gray hairs; a bushy tail; biggest of the group)

* * *

Momo the Mouse

_Chapter 4_

Momo, Toushiro, Rangiku, Renji, and Izuru stood around a bed of soft leaves where Unohana was treating Kenpachi's wounds.

"Will he be okay?" Momo asked.

"He got pretty badly hurt, but he'll be fine," Unohana said as she put medicinal herbs she gathered earlier onto his wounds.

"I'm fine," Kenpachi said as he lay on the floor, "I just forgot to watch the damn beaver."

Toushiro came forward, a guilty look on his face.

"Um, Kenpachi, Miss Unohana, I'm really sorry that I asked you to fight those guys. I didn't mean for you to get hurt," he said sadly.

"It's not your fault Toushiro," Unohana said calmly, "I know you never meant for this to happen."

"Don't be so tough on yourself squirt," Kenpachi said, "I might have lost, but I got a damn good fight out of the deal, and when I get better I'm challenging that jerk to a rematch!" Unohana sighed.

"You'll never change, will you?" she said with a slight smile.

"Hey, it was acting this way that made you love me in the first place. I'm not takin' my chances and stopping!" Kenpachi said. Unohana leaned forward and rubbed her nose against his in something of a kiss.

"Perhaps we should go now," Renji said.

"Yes I think we should," Izuru said.

"Very well then, you kids can go. I'm sorry that we couldn't help you out," Unohana said.

"It's okay," Rangiku said, "Goodbye."

They walked out of the burrow and into the forest. In the distance they could here a tree falling down. It appeared that Aizen was beginning construction of the dam. They all sighed; it appeared as if nothing they could do would prevent their home from being destroyed.

"Why is he doing this so early?" Momo said, "I thought that he was going to wait!"

"It's probably because your little boyfriend's idea made him angry," Rukia said.

"Hey, he's not my boyfriend and it's not his fault that happened!" Momo said. Toushiro backed away, unsure of what to do.

"Oh and where do you think you're going?" Rukia asked angrily, "Your stupid plan just made things worse! He'll probably cut down half the forest now because of you!"

"I'm sorry," Toushiro murmured, "I didn't mean any harm."

"You have nothing to apologize for Toushiro," Momo said, glaring at Rukia, "You were only trying to help. You did nothing wrong."

"Actually I sorta see Rukia's point, Momo," Renji said, "Aizen will probably do a lot more damage now just to spite us. It was a mistake to act on Toushiro's suggestion."

"Yes, what were we thinking? This kid just waltzes in here and we actually believe whatever bad advice he gives us? How ridiculous of us!" Rangiku said. Toushiro's ears drooped in sadness and he began to slink away.

"Wait! Toushiro, don't go!" Momo cried, "We're not all angry at you! I bet that Izuru understands, don't you Izuru?" Izuru shifted uncomfortably under the gaze of both sides of the argument.

"Well…I mean, sure he didn't mean anything, but perhaps we should have thought it through more carefully," he said. Momo glared at her friends.

"Fine; if that's how you're going to be I'll just go off with Toushiro myself!" Momo said. Toushiro smiled; he was happy that Momo liked him enough to stand up to him. She was such a nice mouse.

"You can't just go off! Tonights our weekly campfire night! It will probably be the last one we ever have!" Rangiku said. Momo turned to them.

"I'm don't want to go unless you invite Toushiro," she said defiantly.

"What? You'd put him before us?" Rukia exclaimed.

"Momo, we've been your friend for years. Are you saying that you'd choose someone you've only known for a day over us?" Renji said.

"Momo, I know that it wasn't Toushiro's fault, but he's not one of us. He can't participate in something that has such significance," Izuru said, "We've been doing this since we were babies, how could you choose to go off with him instead of participating in our last campfire night?"

Momo looked at the others. Rukia and Renji were looking at her accusingly. Rangiku was looking at her pleadingly. Izuru gazed at her with sad eyes, aware of her internal conflict. She then gazed at Toushiro, whose ears were drooping and had his head lowered. He had a very sad look on his face. Momo walked over to Toushiro, lifting his spirits for a moment, but then she put her paw on his shoulder and looked into his eyes sadly.

"I'm sorry Toushiro," she said quietly before turning to go off with her friends. Rukia stuck her tongue out and Izuru glanced back apologetically. Toushiro sighed and began to walk off in the other direction.

Toushiro couldn't believe this. He thought he'd finally found some friends but they turned on him. Even Momo, who was always so kind and sweet seemed somewhat upset with him, despite her words to the contrary. He really liked Momo, and had hoped that they may be close friends, maybe even closer, but it looked like she didn't want him. Nobody wanted him. Why would Momo ever want to be with him? Momo was so beautiful and perfect and all he ever did was screw up. He never did anything right, he always messed things up.

Suddenly an idea struck him. He knew just how to set this right. He would go sabotage Aizen's operations! Then Momo would surely love him. He imagined her running towards him, leaping up and giving him a big hug. He thought of her rich chocolate brown fur and her bright and beautiful eyes. He thought of her whiskers tickling his face as she gave him kisses. He sighed at the fantasy.

He thought about his plan. It was dangerous, but he could think of no other way to make Momo love him and fix this problem. With determination in his eyes, he ran off towards the river. He would fix this problem and Momo would surely want to be with him for his brave efforts.

When he reached the place where the stream ran through, he found that it had already been partially dammed up. The flow had been slowed and it had formed a small pond. He looked both ways and saw that Aizen and Gin were nowhere to be seen. They were probably asleep. He noticed in the center of the pond was a lodge. He decided that he'd go there first.

Toushiro took a deep breath and jumped into the water. The bottom of the pond was mucky from the sediments, unlike the clean-pebbled bottom it had when it was a stream. He swam towards the dam in the pond. He was so small that it took him a long time, but eventually he reached the edge of the lodge.

The sticks and logs comprising the lodge were tightly packed together, and he could find no way in. He climbed all over the place, looking for a gap in the lodge. Finally, he discovered a small hole at the top. He hopped down and found himself on the upper level of the lodge. He crawled around, trying to find a weakness he could exploit. Eventually, he ended up on the lower level, below the waterline. There was much more space here, and the place was lit by fireflies. Toushiro just stood and gazed at the place. It certainly was an amazing structure.

"Well hello there," a voice said, interrupting his thoughts, "I don't believe I've met you before."

Toushiro froze and turned around. Aizen stood above him, his big teeth in a rather nasty grin.

"Allow me to introduce myself. I'm Aizen and it's a pleasure to meet you. I mean that sincerely!"

* * *

Thanks for reading everyone! Please review!


	5. Chapter 5

I do not own Bleach

Momo the Mouse

_Chapter Five_

Aizen gave Toushiro a rather nasty smile with those giant teeth of his. Toushiro felt his courage evaporate as he stared up at the beaver, whose nose alone was the size of his entire body.

"What's a little fellow like you doing over here? Surely you must have realized that it's not good manners to barge into people's homes uninvited," Aizen said. Toushiro decided to play the diplomat card.

"Actually, I only wanted to talk to you. I was hoping that perhaps we could reach a settlement, but it looks like you've already finished so I'll just be going then," he said, backing up but bumping into Gin behind him. Gin had some injuries on him from his fight with Kenpachi, but the sleek and predatory mink was certainly more than capable of killing Toushiro.

"Are you sure that's why you're here?" Aizen said, "Weren't you here in an attempt to sabotage my dam and lodge?" Toushiro gulped; Aizen had figured everything out.

The next thing Toushiro new, he had been picked up by Aizen and placed into a wooden cage made from sticks. Aizen bent the sticks so that he was trapped inside. The cage was made from freshly cut maple wood and hard packed mud to form a very durable prison for Toushiro.

"And don't bother trying to chew through there because it won't work," Aizen said, "I'll be going now. Gin, keep an eye on the lodge while I'm gone. You don't have to constantly watch the little guy the whole time but check in from time to time."

"Yes, I'll make sure our little guest is comfortable," Gin said with a wide smile. Toushiro couldn't help but shake in fear as he was held captive by the two larger animals. They walked away, leaving him here with only the light of the fireflies for him to see by.

Toushiro put his paws on the sticks of the cage like bars of a jail cell. He tried to chew through the sticks, but they were made of tough, freshly cut maple, and the mud that held it together made a very strong bond. There was no way he could possibly hope to get out of here.

Toushiro was afraid. He was afraid of what they would do with him. He was afraid of what they would do to his friends. But most of all, he was afraid of what Momo would think when she heard of this. Surely she'd think he was a fool. She'd never want to be with someone like that. She would think him to be a foolish idiot to make such an attempt, and she'd be right. He was a fool.

--

Momo, Rangiku, Renji, Rukia, and Izuru sat around a campfire they made. They were roasting various foodstuffs while reminiscing on the good times they'd had down by the stream. They were trying not to think of the destruction of their beloved stream.

"And then there was the time that those bees were chasing us and we had to hide under the water for an hour breathing through reeds until they went away," Rangiku said.

"They only chased us because you stole all their honey!" Renji said.

"Well that's their fault for putting their honey in easy to grab containers," Rangiku said defensively.

"Remember that time we found those gems at the bottom of the stream?" Rukia asked, "We were all so excited about it, but then it turned out they were just smashed bottles that had been polished smooth by the stream."

"What about the time we had to chase away that snapping turtle? That was a lot of fun," Izuru said.

"Hey Momo, why aren't you talking?" Rangiku asked. Momo jumped in surprise, having been deep in thought.

"I um, well…" Momo stuttered. Rangiku sighed.

"You're thinking about _him_ again aren't you?" she asked. Momo nodded. Rangiku sighed again, "Listen Momo, I know you like that guy but he's not right for you. He's not one of us. I feel bad that we were tough on him earlier, but he just can't be with us. It won't work."

"That's right Momo. I mean, sure I may have been a bit harsh on him back there, but in the end it will be for the best. For both him and us," Rukia said.

"I'm sorry Momo, but it was the only way. It was for his good as much as it was for our's. We must stick together to survive, and he's not one of us and therefore he cannot stick to us," Renji explained.

"Well I don't know about that," Izuru said, "I think he could have been one of us given the chance."

"But we didn't have time to give him the chance. Trust me, this is for the best," Rukia said. Momo stared sadly at her feet, unsure of what to do. She really liked Toushiro, but she couldn't abandon her friends for him. She didn't know what to do.

Suddenly there was a slight shift in the ground beneath their feet.

"What the-" Rangiku exclaimed. Suddenly something burst out of the ground nearby her feet causing her to jump and shriek in surprise. Breathing heavily, she looked down to see a star nosed mole with his head poking out of the ground.

The mole was dark black in color and about the same size as Izuru and Momo. Its tiny eyes were tightly shut and essentially useless as a mole did not need eyes. He had twenty-two little tentacle like appendages on his nose that functioned like ultrasensitive fingers, with such a great sense of touch and ability to sense vibrations in the earth and air that it was as good as seeing.

"I am Tousen, sent as a special envoy of Aizen," the mole said.

"Aizen? What does that jerk want?" Rukia said.

"He commands that you are to leave this forest and never return," Tousen said.

"You expect us to just leave the place we've lived our entire lives just because he said to? You're crazy!" Renji said.

"We will not leave this forest," Rangiku said.

"Aizen also wishes to inform you that he has your white mouse friend, and his life will be forfeit if you do not give in to his demands," Tousen said.

"What! Where's Toushiro? What did you do with him?" Momo yelled, but Tousen had already gone underground.

"Well now what?" Rangiku asked.

"We're staying right where we are," Renji said, "We can't give into his bullying."

"But he'll kill Toushiro!" Momo protested.

"Momo's right, we can't just let his life be put in jeopardy for our sake. We should leave the forest," Izuru said.

"Are you mad? We can't just leave! That's just what they want! I for one am not giving in!" Rukia said.

"But Toushiro could die!" Momo protested, "I say we go and rescue him."

"What? We can't do that, there's no way we'd succeed," Renji said, "It won't work."

"I have to agree with Renji," Izuru said, "I don't want Toushiro to be harmed, but a rescue attempt would be very foolhardy."

"We wouldn't stand a chance against Aizen and Gin!" Rangiku said.

"Not to mention it's probably his own fault he got captured, however tragic it may be," Rukia added. Momo looked at her friends with eyes full of tears.

"So that's it then? None of you are willing to help Toushiro," she said sadly. They all shook their heads, some more reluctantly than others. Momo began to cry. "I'm sorry, I just…need to be alone for a bit, okay?" Momo ran off into the forest crying.

After running for quite a while, she stopped, crying beside a tree stump. She couldn't believe this was happening. Toushiro was in danger and her friends refused to help. She could understand why they didn't want to, after all they made valid points, but in her heart Momo could not accept it.

Momo knew in her heart what the right thing to do was, and that was to save Toushiro, even if she had to do it by herself. She gazed determinedly in the direction of Aizen's lodge and ran off towards it.

* * *

Thanks for reading everyone! Thank you to Animeimaginationgirl, Merciless Ruby, and Snowy Peach Tsubasa! Please review everyone!


	6. Chapter 6

_Momo the Mouse Characters_

Momo- Deermouse (Dark brown on her back and sides with a white belly)

Toushiro- Domestic White Mouse (Smallest of the group)

Izuru- Golden Mouse (Golden brown; slightly bigger than Momo)

Rukia- Vole (black on top, white on the bottom; smaller than Momo but bigger that Toushiro)

Renji- Red Squirrel (Red brown with a white belly; smaller than Rangiku but much bigger than the others)

Rangiku- Fox Squirrel (Mix of orange and gray hairs; a bushy tail; biggest of the group)

* * *

**Momo the Mouse**

_Chapter Six_

Momo ran through the forest, determined to save Toushiro. In the light of the moon, she saw that there were several trees that had been cut down by Aizen, including the one where she made her home. She gazed sorrowfully at her destroyed home for several minutes before turning her attention back to saving Toushiro. Tears were in her eyes.

Momo was not entirely sure why she was risking her life to save Toushiro. Sure he had tried to help them, but that alone wasn't enough to make the danger worth it. It was almost as if Momo…_needed_ Toushiro. She didn't quite understand it. After all, she had lived without Toushiro for all six months of her life. Why would she suddenly need him now? In the back of her head, she knew the answer to why she cared so much that she was willing to risk her life for him. She may not _need_ to be with him, but she _wanted_ to be with him.

Filled with determination, Momo made her way to the edge of the pond. She was shocked to see how large and deep it had gotten. She wasn't sure she could swim that far. As she stepped into the very edge of the water, she felt her feet squishing into mud. She wiped her feet off on some nearby grass; she hated mud, which was one of the reasons she hated what Aizen had done to their stream. Before, the running water of the stream had washed away any mud that got in, leaving only smooth pebbles. The water had also been much cooler before, but now it felt warm.

Momo walked around the edge of the pond, unsure of what she was looking for. She looked at all of the features of the pond, reminiscing of what it had been like as a stream. She looked across to a big hill right above that horrid dam that destroyed their stream; in the past they had contests to see who could roll down it the fastest. She looked at the big rock she used to sit on to look at the stream, which was now submerged, only appearing as a shadow under the water. She saw a fallen tree on the other side of the brook, recognizing it as the one that they used to climb up and jump off of into the water.

Shaking herself, she resumed trying to find something that would help her save Toushiro. She noticed a wood chip on the ground and picked it up. She inspected it, realizing that it would make a great raft. She looked over at the lodge in the center of the pond, where she knew that Toushiro was being held.

Momo placed the woodchip raft in the water and carefully stepped aboard. It wobbled a bit, but it held her weight. Taking a deep breath she began to paddle. It was hard work, but the thought of saving Toushiro gave her the strength to continue. Her arms were sore, but she was nearly at the lodge.

Suddenly, a huge dark shape emerged from the water. Momo gave a frightened squeak and attempted to paddle away. She recognized it as Aizen and had no interest in getting caught by him. He had already seen her however, and he gave the water a slap with his tail, sending a big wave that knocked Momo off of her woodchip. Choking and spitting up water, Momo attempted to swim away, but a blow from Aizen's mighty tail sent her tiny body flying.

She was stunned from the blow, and she was unable to swim, or even move. She sank in the water, unable to get to the surface to breath, and soon blacked out from lack of oxygen.

Aizen watched the water for several minutes and, convinced that the mouse was not coming back up, swam back over to his lodge, a triumphant look on her face.

--

Toushiro was lying down against the cage Aizen had put in him. He knew that he could never break out, but he still chewed on the hard sticks composing the cage, mainly out of depression. The place was lit by fireflies, and had a very gloomy feel to it.

Suddenly there was a noise, and Aizen waddled up to his cage.

"What do you want?" he asked dully. Aizen gave him a toothy grin.

"Oh, I just thought I'd give you a little bit of interesting news," he said, "Just now, a little female Mouse attempted to break into here." Toushiro stiffened and ran up to the side of the cage.

"What did you do to her?" he growled, "What did you do to Momo?!" Aizen chuckled.

"Oh my, so you knew the poor little darling. I'm sorry to tell you this, but I'm afraid the poor dear drowned," he said. Toushiro froze, his mind unable to process what had been said. He began to shake in rage.

"You monster!" he screamed, throwing himself against the bars of the cage, "Let me out of here and fight me you coward! I'll kill you for doing that to Momo!" Aizen smirked.

"Oh yeah, a little guy like you is going to beat me? Even your little friend knew it was best to run away, but even that wasn't enough to save her," he said. Infuriated by his taunts about Momo, Toushiro slammed himself against the bars of the cage, screaming at Aizen.

Chuckling, Aizen waddled out of the room. Toushiro yelled and screamed at him as he left, ramming himself against the sticks of this cage, desperate to get out. When Aizen left, Toushiro gave one last scream before collapsing to the ground.

It was all his fault this happened. If he hadn't been so stupid, Momo wouldn't have tried to rescue him. She would still be alive, probably having fun with her friends. Because of him, Momo was dead. It would have been better if he had never met her, then at least she'd be alive. It wasn't fair! Momo didn't deserve that, she was only trying to help him, and she was killed for it. It was all his fault, and the guilt was overwhelming. He curled up in a ball and wept.

"Sorry Momo…" he muttered.

--

It was morning and Rangiku, Rukia, Renji, and Izuru were fast asleep. They didn't talk very much after Momo left, finding that the mood had been destroyed. They were all guilty for making Momo leave, and were beginning to think that perhaps they should have been more accepting of Toushiro.

As they slept, they felt something moving underneath them, waking them up. Suddenly, Tousen the mole popped up from the ground startling them.

"What do you want?" Rangiku said angrily.

"I'm here with another message," Tousen said, wiggling the little tentacles on his nose.

"Well give us the message and get out! You're not welcome here!" Renji said.

"Fine, I've been instructed to inform you that a young female deer mouse drowned last night attempting to rescue the white mouse held in the central lodge," he said. There was silence for a moment before they all burst into uproar. Tousen quickly went back underground.

"Oh no you don't!" Rukia yelled, diving into the hole behind him. Moments later, she pulled the struggling mole out from the ground. Her teeth were firmly latched onto the skin on the back of his neck and despite being half his size, pulled him over to the others.

Tousen struggled; his large paws nearly useless for any purpose other than digging. They held him down, encircling him so he would not escape.

"Okay buster, now you explain to us exactly what happened," Rangiku said.

"She tried to get into the pond, Aizen smacked her, and she drowned; it's as simple as that!" Tousen said. They exchanged sad looks with eachother.

"I can't believe it…" Izuru murmured.

"Poor Momo…" Rangiku said.

"We…we should have done something to prevent this…" Renji said.

"This is all my fault!" Rukia wailed. Renji placed a paw on her shoulder.

"It's not your fault," he said quietly.

"Yes it is!" Rukia cried, "Because I was so mean about Toushiro she went after him! Because of me Momo's dead!"

"We all were insensitive to Momo's feelings about Toushiro," Rangiku said, "We should have been kinder to him, then he wouldn't have run off to try and prove himself and none of this would have happened."

"But he did do that on his own free will, why should Momo suffer for it?" Renji asked.

"It's obvious! She loves him! I should have seen it before, oh god this is all my fault!" Rukia cried, "I shouldn't have been mean to him. We could have him and Momo with us right now!"

"You're blaming yourself too much," Izuru said wisely, "We all could have done things to prevent this, but let's not forget whose fault this really is."

"Aizen," Renji growled.

"We have no choice now," Rangiku said, "We can't let Aizen get away with this. We need to stop him."

"How?" Rukia asked, "We're no match for him!"

"I'm a bit unsure myself," Renji said, "I want more than anything to make Aizen pay, but what can we do?"

"I have a plan, and worm-face here is going to help us," Rangiku said, pointing at Tousen with a grim smile on her face. Tousen's nose tentacles curled up in fear as they all looked intently at him.

--

Momo coughed up some water and opened her eyes a crack. It was early morning, and the pond was quiet. She was lying up against the lodge, with most of her body underwater. She could barely believe she was alive. She was very sore, but she was able to pull herself up onto the lodge, breathing heavily as she collapsed on it.

She only then remembered the significance of the lodge. A smile crossed her face and she got up on her feet. She was wobbly for a minute, but managed to gather up enough strength to start climbing up the side of the lodge.

"I'm coming Toushiro…"

* * *

Thanks for reading! Thank you to Snowy Peach Tsubasa, Animeimaginationgirl, Merciless Ruby, and sma4ever! Please review!


	7. Chapter 7

Momo- Deermouse (Dark brown on her back and sides with a white belly)

Toushiro- Domestic White Mouse (Smallest of the group)

_Izuru- Golden Mouse (Golden brown; slightly bigger than Momo)_

_Rukia- Vole (black on top, white on the bottom; smaller than Momo but bigger that Toushiro)_

_Renji- Red Squirrel (Red brown with a white belly; smaller than Rangiku but much bigger than the others)_

_Rangiku- Fox Squirrel (Mix of orange and gray hairs; a bushy tail; biggest of the group)_

_Also, remember that Aizen is a beaver, Ichimaru a mink, and Tousen a star-nosed mole._

Author's Note: Okay, this is the climactic chapter of the story! I hope you enjoy it! Make sure to review when you're done!

I do not own bleach

* * *

**Momo the Mouse**

_Chapter Seven_

Momo crawled silently into the lodge through a hole near the top. She was still somewhat sore from Aizen's attack, but she managed to make her way through the lodge. She didn't see Aizen or Ichimaru, which was good as they could both kill her easily. The lodge was big and Momo had some trouble navigating it, but eventually she found her way to the main chamber.

It was dimly lit with fireflies and had a musty odor about it. In the center was a small cage made of sticks; Momo's heart fluttered as she saw the shape of a small white mouse in it. Toushiro was lying on his side in depression. Momo scampered over to the side of the cage and put her paws on the bars.

"Toushiro," she whispered. Toushiro opened his eyes to the happiest sight he could have possibly hoped to see. Momo stood before him, her pretty eyes, the chocolate brown fur of her body, dainty little paws, and creamy white belly right in front of him. Toushiro leapt to his feet and went straight to where Momo was. They hugged through the bars of the cage comforted by eachother's soft fur.

"Momo…I'm so happy you're alive, I thought you were dead," Toushiro said.

"Of course I'm alive silly, did you really think I'd leave you?" Momo said softly, "What were you thinking when you came here anyway?"

Toushiro dropped his gaze and mumbled incoherently.

"Sorry, I didn't catch that," Momo said. Toushiro raised his head and gulped.

"I…I thought that if I could get rid of the dam that you would…love me," he said quietly, his ears flattened down in embarassment of the stupidity of what he had done and shame of the knowledge of his failure.

"You didn't need to do that, I love you already!" Momo said. Toushiro's ears perked up and his eyes brightened.

"R-really? You mean it?" he said excitedly. Momo nodded and leant forward, rubbing her nose against his in something of a kiss. They silentlyheld eachother for a minute, nuzzling eachother and relishing in eachother's presence. Finally, Momo stopped and looked at Toushiro with determination.

"I need to get you out of here," she said urgently.

"The sticks of this cage are too tough to chew through, I've tried," Toushiro said.

"Just give me a minute," Momo said. She hopped up on top of the cage, looking at the bars for a weak spot. She crawled around on the cage for a moment before she found the right place. It was the point at the top where a bunch of sticks came together. She found a small twig on one of the sticks that she managed to chew off. She used the twig like a chisel, knocking off bits of the dried mud that held the sticks together. After a few minutes of chiseling at the mud, she stopped.

"I think it's about ready," she said. She then began gnawing at the sticks on the top of the cage. She was unable to do much damage, but managed to weaken a few, and that's all she needed. She began jumping on the point where all the sticks had been connected by the now-absent mud. A few creaks could be heard as she did this, and soon the entire cage tumbled down as she broke through the key point of it.

Shaking herself off, Momo ran to Toushiro, embracing him. He embraced her in return, comforted by her soft, warm fur.

"Let's get out of here," Momo said. Toushiro nodded and followed her out.

--

"Keep digging worm face!" Rukia yelled.

"I could be digging faster if you took the leash off," Tousen said.

"Oh yeah, and let you run off? Stop whining and get back to work!" Rukia said.

Rukia and Rangiku held Tousen by a leash as they forced him to dig under the boulder that was on top of the hill by the side of the pond. Izuru and Renji were digging a path that led directly to the dam. When they were finished, they would push the rock down the hill where it would destroy the dam. They worked feverishly, for they knew that it was only a matter of time before Aizen found them and went after them.

"Rangiku!" Izuru suddenly shouted. Rangiku turned, annoyed that he stopped working.

"What? What is- Oh…"she said, wide eyed. Izuru was helping to support Momo and Toushiro as they made their way up the hill. They were both soaking wet and looked extremely tired, but seemed to be okay. Rangiku ran forward and tightly embraced Momo.

"Oh Momo, thank goodness you're alive!" She cried.

"Too tight…" Momo groaned under the suffocating hug.

"What? Oh yeah, sorry!" Rangiku said, letting Momo go.

"What are you doing?" Toushiro asked.

"We're going to dislodge that boulder so that it will roll down the hill and destroy the dam," Izuru explained. Momo looked over at the star-nosed mole on a leash digging at the ground beneath the boulder.

"Who's he?" she asked.

"This is Aizen's buddy, worm face," Rukia said.

"Stop calling me that!" Tousen said. Rukia shut him up with a jerk of the leash.

"You should get back to work Izuru," Rangiku said, "The trench to guide the boulder is almost finished, and we need it done as soon as possible." Izuru ran down the hill to help Renji finish the trench that the boulder would roll down.

Momo and Toushiro rested as they finished the trench. After a while, they both ran up the hill.

"The trench is ready, we should now devote our full attention to the boulder," Renji said.

"I'm afraid I can not allow that."

They turned to see Aizen and Ichimaru walking towards them. They all gulped at the sight of them. Tousen took this opportunity to escape, digging into the ground away from them. They barely noticed; they were too frightened.

"I thought I told you to leave this forest," Aizen said, "Now I'm afraid you'll have to pay the penalty." As Aizen advanced on them however, a freshly picked walnut dropped on his head.

"What!" Aizen exclaimed.

"Yahoo!" a pink parakeet yelled as she flew over them, dropping another walnut on Aizen's head. Yachiru then landed near the others. Moments later, Kenpachi and Unohana ran forward, facing Aizen and Ichimaru.

"You kids dig up that boulder, we'll handle these two," Unohana said.

"Oh please!" Aizen chuckled, "You are far too tiny to be of any significance, right Gin?"

"R-right…" Gin stuttered, still remembering his last beating from Kenpachi.

They faced off, and in an instant began fighting, Kenpachi against Ichimaru and Unohana against Aizen. Kenpachi and Unohana were smaller, so they were quick to attack the less agile beaver and the longer bodied mink from behind. Kenpachi and Ichimaru wrestled on the ground, while Unohana darted around Aizen, delivering little bites as he attempted to swat her with his tail or bite her with his big teeth. As soon as he attempted to bite, hit, or swat her, she would leap to the other side of him.

As Kenpachi and Unohana fought against Aizen and Ichimaru, Momo, Toushiro, Izuru, Rangiku, Renji, and Rukia frantically dug at the ground under the boulder. Their paws were not as good for digging as Tousen's, but they had to try. Time was running out for them; Aizen and Ichimaru would not be held off for long. They knew they needed to dig out the earth beneath the boulder as soon as possible, but they didn't seem to be able to get the last bit of it, as it was wedged in a place they could barely reach.

Toushiro glanced at the fight occurring nearby. Ichimaru had been beaten by Kenpachi and was lying on the ground, too tired to move. Kenpachi was helping Unohana fight against Aizen, though it was clear that despite the numerous bites they were inflicting on him, they were outmatched. He looked back at the boulder, and realized that they needed to try something else.

"Everybody stop digging and push!" he yelled. After a moment's hesitation, they all went behind the boulder and began pushing it. The huge rock didn't move, but they continued, rationalizing that this was the only way that it could possibly work. They pushed with all of their might, hoping that this would work.

Meanwhile, as Kenpachi and Unohana fought Aizen, he suddenly turned to the side and hit them both with his tail as they leapt at him. They flew through the air and landed near where the others were pushing the boulder. Yachiru landed next to them as they shakily stood back up, not seriously injured but no longer in condition to fight.

Aizen smirked triumphantly and began advancing forward, but stopped when an angry voice shouted at him from behind.

"Hey you! You stay right there!" the gruff voice yelled. Aizen turned to see a porcupine waddling up to him, a very angry look on his face. Everybody except Aizen recognized it as Yamamoto.

"Well hello there friend!" Aizen said pleasantly, "It's a pleasure to meet you, and I mean that sincere-"

"Oh shut up!" Yamamoto growled, "I'm here to get back the salt that you stole!"

"You must be mistaken, I stole no salt," Aizen said calmly.

"Uh, actually you kinda did boss," Ichimaru said, barely able to lift his head up, "Remember, you took all the salt that was hidden inside that big oak tree. I told you that we should have left it there."

"Well, I-err, um…" Aizen stuttered.

"Quit with the excuses! The weasel says that you have my salt so hand it-"

"Actually I'm a mink, not a weasel," Ichimaru interjected.

"Shut up or you'll be getting a year's worth of acupuncture," Yamamoto growled, "Now tell me where my salt is!"

"I actually used that salt to mix with mud and sand to create a strong substance to hold my lodge together," Aizen said.

"You turned my salt into cement for your lodge!" Yamamoto roared.

"Well, cement isn't really the right term for it, although it does serve a similar purpose in contruct-" Yamamoto swung his tail at him, embedding hundreds of needle-sharp quills in his face. Aizen yelped in pain, attempting to get the quills out but only driving them in further. As he stumbled around in pain, Yamamoto hit him again, this time in his behind. Aizen shrieked as the quills went into his rear and tail.

Aizen ran off, shrieking in pain. Yamamoto meanwhile began waddling off, muttering "Steal my salt will you?"

Everyone present breathed a sigh of relief when the ground suddenly began to groan beneath them.

"Get away from the boulder!" Izuru yelled at everyone.

They scampered away as the dirt surrounding the rock began crumbling away. The earth seemed to shake as the boulder slowly began rolling forward.

Thanks for reading everyone! I think that there will be one, possibly two more chapters after this. Thank you to sma4ever, Merciless Ruby, Himiko Arees, and Snowy Peach Tsubasa! Please review everyone!


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note:** Okay, I decided to provide a little bit of information about the animals in this story. It doesn't really have an impact on the story, but I thought it would be fun for you to read.

**American Beaver (Aizen):** The American Beaver is found througout North America. They eat grasses, cattails, and water lilies. The total beaver population is believed to be between 10-15 million, but it is believed that before the settlement of the Americas, it may have been ten times this number.

**American Mink (Ichimaru):** The long, slim body is covered in glossy fur that ranges from a sandy brown to near black, often with a silvery tint. They are excellent swimmers, and their main habitats are fields and wooded areas that are nearby rivers and streams. They are semi-aquatic, hunting prey both on land and in water. Common prey include fish, crayfish, frogs, mice, voles, and rabbits. They themselves are preyed upon by coyotes, wolves, and owls.

**Brown Rat (Kenpachi):** Also known as the Norway Rat, Common Rat, Hanover Rat, and Wharf Rat, the Brown Rat is the most successful mammal on the planet alongside humans. Brown Rats have fur that is a mix of brown, black, and grey hairs, the combination of which is referred to as 'agouti' coloring. The exact origin of the Brown Rat is uncertain. English academics first believed it was from Norway. After that theory was debunked, they hypothesized that it originated in Ireland, Gibralter, or Persia. Today, the best guess we have is that it came from N. China or Mongolia. They are omnivores, eating nearly anything, though grains and cereals form a substantial part of their diet. They are also known to eat berries, insects, eggs, nuts, plant matter, meat, and have even been known to dive underwater for fish and molluscs. They are intelligent and highly social, attributes that have contributed to their success.

**Deer Mouse (Momo):** Deer Mice are small rodents that live in forests throughout North America. They vary in size from 3.5 to 6 inches, though they're usually at the smaller end of the scale. There are 66 species of Deer Mouse. Their soft fur ranges in color widely, and can be tan, brown, grey, or black, but they always have a distinct white belly and white paws. Deer Mice are known for their exceptional cleanliness, so they are frequently used as lab animals or pets, though they are not actually domesticated. They feed upon fruit and seeds, supplemented by insects in times of scarce food.

**Domestic Mouse (Toushiro):** The Domestic Mouse is a descendant of the House Mouse, which originated in Southern China. They are small animals and are often used as lab animals or as food for reptiles. They are also kept as pets, though they are much more skittish and less trainable than their larger cousin, the Fancy Rat. With proper handling however, they are perfectly capably of becoming good pets. They range widely in color, with white being the most common.

**Fancy Rat (Unohana):** The Fancy Rat is the domesticated form of the Brown Rat. They are called Fancy Rats because people who own rats are said to 'fancy' them. Fancy Rats make excellent pets, as they are clean, social, intelligent, and affectionate. They come in hundreds of colorations, with the most common being the 'hooded' variety in which the head and a stripe down the back is one color and the rest is white. They are intelligent and highly trainable, making them ideal family pets.

**Fox Squirrel (Rangiku):** The largest of the American squirrels, this species is common throughout forests as well as in urban and suburban environments. Their coloration is best described as brown-gray, with a distinct orangish tinge on their bellies and tails. They feed mainly on nuts such as hickory nuts, acorns, and walnuts. They hoard these nuts, burying them all over the place for later use. Some of these are inevitably forgotten, later growing into trees.

Galah (Yachiru): The Galah is a member of the cockatoo family, though it is often described as a parrot or parakeet. They have a pale grey back, a pink face and chest, and a light pink crest. They are native to Australia, where they are among the most common birds. They are often kept as pets due to their social attitude, though the decision is not to be made lightly as they require dedication and often outlive their owners.

**Golden Mouse (Izuru):** Golden Mice are medium sized mice that range from four to eight inches long. They live in thick woodlands and swampy areas, often with a high prevalence of vines and shrubs. They are named for the thick golden fur covering their upper body, although their underside and feet are white and their tail is cream colored. Golden mice have partially prehensile tails. They feed primarily on seeds, notably those of sumac and honeysuckle.

**North American Porcupine (Yamamoto):** A large rodent that lives in North America. They are most common in coniferous Forests, but are also found in mixed forest, deciduous forests, and shrublands. They have heavily built bodies and are very near-sighted, resulting in them moving quite slowly and awkwardly. They do not throw their quills, but the quills detach easily from the porcupine's skin when they penetrate a predator. Despite their clumsy appearance, they are excellent at climbing trees, and spend much time resting in them. They eat twigs, conifer needles, and bark. They are extremely fond of salt, known to venture close to dangerous roads in search of their favorite treat.

**Red Squirrel (Renji):** The Red Squirrel is one of the smaller varieties of squirrel, and is reddish brown on top with a white belly. They feed primarily on the seeds from the cones of conifers, notably the white spruce, but also eat mushrooms, needles, and the buds from willow and poplars.

**Vole (Rukia):** There are over 70 species of Voles that are found around North America, Europe, and Asia. Depending on the species, they range from 3-7 inches long. They feed on seeds, pine needles, clovers, and grasses. They resemble mice but are stouter, have a shorter tail, and have a rounder head and smaller ears.

* * *

**Momo the Mouse**

_Chapter Eight_

The boulder seemed to rumble as the earth crumbled away from beneath it. Everyone scattered, not wanting to get in the way of the massive rock. They were all cheering as it began to roll forward, at first slowly and then faster. It went into the ditch they dug earlier and began rolling faster and faster. As it neared the bottom, it hit a smaller rock, and it flew into the air.

The three mice, two squirrels, two rats, parakeet, and vole watched in awe as the enormous rock soared through the air. It crashed into the dam with a thud, and within moments a gurgling sound could be heard. The water began to drain out of the pond at a high rate, the remains of the dam and lodge being swept away by the current. The roaring water cleared away the mud and sticks that dominated the pond's floor, returning it to the nice clean pebbles of the stream. Within a matter of minutes, the stream they had grown up on was back to normal.

Everyone cheered, and Momo and Toushiro put their noses together in a kiss. Kenpachi and Unohana did likewise; and Yachiru, not wanting to be left out, promptly put her beak up to Renji's nose, accidentally biting it. The others laughed as Renji cried out and chased the giggling Yachiru off of him. Their mood had been improved beyond measure.

"Toushiro, I love you," Momo said quietly into Toushiro's ear. Toushiro smiled back.

"I love you too Momo," he whispered. They rubbed their noses together lovingly as everyone cheered.

"Um, excuse me," a voice said timidly. Everyone turned to see Gin the Mink walking up to them, still bruised up from the earlier fight.

"What do you want?" Rukia said coldly.

"Well…I was just, uh, wondering…since I have nowhere else to go, do you think I could hang out with you guys?" he said.

"After what you did?" Rukia said incredulously.

"You think we'd forgive you?" Rangiku said.

"No way!" Renji said.

Gin lowered his head and began to walk off. He seemed very depressed.

"Wait," Momo said, "I think we should give him another chance." Gin turned around in shock.

"What?" Toushiro said in surprise.

"We can't let him stay with us!" Rukia protested.

"It won't work," Izuru said.

Momo faced her friends, a serious look on her face.

"If he wants a second chance we'll give it to him. We'll keep a close eye on him of course, but we should give him a chance," she said.

The others seemed uncertain, not wanting a former enemy to be among them.

"Momo, are you sure?" Toushiro said, "Are you really willing to trust him."

"I'll give him a chance. Besides," a mischievous twinkle appeared in her eyes, "There is something he can do for us in return." The others listened to her idea with smirks on their faces. Gin gulped but did not run away as they agreed on what he would have to do for them in order to be forgiven.

--

"Come on! Let's go!" Rangiku shouted.

"We're hurrying!" Rukia said.

"If you guys weren't so small you wouldn't have this problem!" Renji laughed.

"Oh, you are going to pay for that!" Momo said playfully.

They were all running through the forest towards their favorite place of play on the stream. Rangiku had gone ahead to make the preparations and had gone back to hurry them up. They ran through the bushes and ferns on the forest floor. Finally they made it to the stream.

"Onto the swing!" Rukia yelled. With that, she leapt off the banks that separated the forest from the edge of the stream and grabbed onto Gin, who was hanging onto an overhanging branch with his teeth. His long body functioned like a rope swing as Rukia used him to propel herself into the water with a big splash. Next came Momo and Toushiro, who went at the same time, flying off into the water together. Renji leapt up and swung forward on Gin, letting go and creating the biggest splash yet.

Everyone had gone except for Rangiku who was too big and Izuru who didn't want to do it. Izuru went off to swim while Rangiku stayed behind to tease Gin a little bit.

"So Gin, how's it hanging?" Rangiku said.

"This is massively degrading," Gin said through gritted teeth.

"Yeah, but this is how you make up for what you've done. Aizen toppled the tree we used to use for jumping off, so now we'll have to use you instead. Don't worry, soon we'll let you join us in our games. Until then though, just hang out here."

"That is _so_ not funny," Gin said. Rangiku flashed him a toothy smile and ran off, joining her friends in the water.

They splashed and played in the water. Rukia decided to get revenge on Rangiku and Renji for calling her small by playing tag with them, using her more agile body to dart around them before they could even move. Izuru and Momo played for a bit as well, with Toushiro diving to the bottom to collect pretty rocks as presents for Momo. They laughed and played for a while before going back to the shore.

They collapsed on the shore, smiling and laughing as they did so. They rested in the sun for a while, enjoying the way the warm rays of the sun dried their fur off. They were just about to go back into the water when a large shadow loomed over them. They looked up to see Aizen standing above them.

"What do you want?" Rukia said angrily.

"Get out of here! We won, you lost; get over it!" Momo said.

"You have no purpose here so leave," Izuru said.

Aizen chuckled loudly, causing them all to back away a little bit.

"I'm here for my revenge on you. That you tiny weakling thought you could defy me was absolutely ridiculous! Since you weren't able to comprehend your place in the natural order, I'll squash you all!" he said, emphasizing his point by slapping his tail on the ground, causing it to shake.

Aizen advanced on them threateningly when a long shape suddenly leapt out at him. Gin the mink was standing between Aizen and the smaller rodents. Aizen seemed annoyed for a moment but then relaxed when he saw that it was Gin.

"Ah, it's good to see you again. Could you give me a hand in punishing these lesser rodents?" Aizen said.

"I'm afraid not," Gin said, "They have accepted me and are actually nicer to me than you ever were, even if I am their rope swing." With that, he leapt forward and latched onto Aizen's nose, his needle-sharp teeth sinking into the tissue that had only just healed from Yamamoto's quills. Aizen cried out in pain, swinging his face around, trying to shake Gin off. When Gin finally let go, he was looking at Aizen defiantly. Aizen stared back at them and growled before running off.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Rangiku went up to Gin and slapped him on the shoulder.

"Great job man! I think you've earned the right to play with us!" She said. The others murmured their agreement.

"R-really?" Gin asked, barely able to believe it, "Thank you!" He ran off with Rangiku, Renji, Rukia, and Izuru towards the stream, but Momo and Toushiro didn't follow. Rangiku stopped and looked back at them.

"Are you guys coming or what?" She said.

"We were actually going to spend a bit of time by ourselves," Momo said.

"Suit yourself!" Rangiku said, running off towards the water.

Momo and Toushiro smiled at eachother and walked into the forest. They went to their new home that they had made after Aizen destroyed Momo's old home. It was a small burrow under a blueberry bush, hidden safely out of sight. They picked a few blueberries before crawling inside.

The place was illuminated by the small amount of light that peaked through the branches of the bush and into the burrow, but that was enough for them. They took the blueberries to their nest of weaved grass, where they cuddled up and nibbled on the berries. When they were finished with the berries, they cuddled up closer, enjoying eachother's presence.

"I love you Momo," Toushiro whispered.

"I love you too Toushiro," Momo replied with a smile.

They rubbed their noses together in a kiss, knowing that nothing could compare to the happiness they now felt.

_The End_

* * *

Thanks for reading! This was the last chapter; I hope you enjoyed it! I'd like to honor everyone who reviewed my story:

Merciless Ruby

Snowy Peach Tsubasa

Animeimaginationgrl

Shirochanxmomo1220

Slade2.0

aprilsierra

CallMeNicole

Yukiko of the Snow

TheFightingFox

Chaos Dragon

sma4ever

Himiko Arees

Heirii13

Thank you to everybody listed here; your reviews were really helpful! I'd also like to give special thanks to Merciless Ruby and Snowy Peach Tsubasa, who reviewed every single chapter. It's been a lot of fun writing this story, and I might even decide to make a sequel some day! Please review everyone!


End file.
